Apparatus, systems, and methods for wireless communications and control

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the control and operation of wireless communication devices and systems compatible with cellular telephones and other devices, and particularly to improvements in the functionality of those devices for use in conjunction with a variety of sports and recreational activities.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of pending U.S.nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 15/655,843 entitled “WirelessApparatus and Method for Controlling Personal Electronic Devices”, filedJul. 20, 2017, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. nonprovisionalpatent application Ser. No. 14/841,701, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,742,890,entitled “Wireless Apparatus and Method for Controlling PersonalElectronic Devices”, filed Aug. 31, 2015, which is aContinuation-in-Part of pending U.S. nonprovisional patent applicationSer. No. 14/229,899, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,319,509, filed on Mar. 29,2014, entitled “System for Control and Operation of Electronic Devices”,which is a Continuation of U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser.No. 13/186,467, now abandoned, filed on Jul. 19, 2011 and entitled“Sports MusiCom Headset”. All four of said applications claim benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/386,114, filed on Sep. 24, 2010,entitled “Sports MusiCom Headset”. The instant application is commonlyowned with, claims the benefit of, and incorporates herein by referenceall of the applications enumerated above (Ser. No. 15/655,843, Ser. No.14/841,701, Ser. No. 14/229,899, Ser. No. 13/186,467, and 61/386,114) intheir entireties and for all useful purposes. In addition, Applicantalso incorporates herein by reference for all useful purposes in itsentirety co-owned pending U.S. nonprovisional application Ser. No.15/062,229, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,742,895, filed Mar. 7, 2016 and entitled“Control Device, Connector, and Audio Interface System for ElectronicDevices”. In this regard, in the event of inconsistency between anythingstated in this specification and anything incorporated by reference inthis specification, this specification shall govern.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the control and operation of cellulartelephones and other electronic devices, and particularly toimprovements in the functionality of those devices for use inconjunction with a variety of sports and recreational activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When utilizing portable personal electronic devices, includingelectronic music players and cellular or other mobile telephone orcommunication devices, it is often desirable for convenience and safetypurposes to operate the devices via remote means. Further, it is oftenadvantageous to utilize external components including speakers andmicrophones in conjunction with said remote means, all of which arecomponents external to the device but are operatively connected thereto.

The external components are connected to the personal electronic deviceeither by wires or through wireless communication. These componentsallow the user to operate the personal electronic device without havingto handle it, or in the case of a cellular or other mobile telephone,hold it next to their ear, which would otherwise be necessary to allowthe speaker and microphone to function properly. The user's hand, whichwould normally be used to hold the device, is then free to be used forother tasks. It also prevents fatigue of the arm that can occur whenholding a telephone for extended periods of time. Furthermore, it issafer because the user's coordination and focus are enhanced foralternative purposes. This is of particular concern when the user isperforming sports or recreational activities that require the continuoususe of both hands, e.g. snow skiing, biking, or motorcycle riding toname a few. Finally, there is concern over the safety of radio wavesemitted by cellular phones when the phones are in close proximity to thehead of a user. Thus, the cellular telephone can be moved away from theuser's head, thereby reducing the impact of such radiation.

Cellular telephones are often packaged with external speaker/microphonedevices that allow for hands-free functionality. These devices are notalways acceptable to the user. The devices often contain “ear-buds” thatare uncomfortable and/or prone to disengaging with the ear and fallingout, or otherwise of undesirable quality. As such, a variety ofthird-party products have been introduced to the market. Third-partyproducts are produced with modified ear bud assemblies or headphones,and sometimes relocated microphones. Both wired and wireless(Bluetooth®) varieties are available.

There are three basic types of third-party devices available on themarket. One type of device is a combination speaker/microphone unitconnected wirelessly to the cellular telephone. A second type of deviceis a combination speaker/microphone unit connected to the cellulartelephone using wires. A third type of device uses a wired configurationcontaining an integral microphone and headphone plug. This allows anystandard headphone to be connected to the adapter cable, but has thedrawback of requiring the use of the supplied microphone. Thismicrophone may be inconvenient to the user due to its location along theadapter cable (including possibility of picking up excess backgroundnoise) or low quality.

A significant disadvantage of the available adapter cables is that theydo not allow the use of third-party wired combination speaker/microphoneunits with standard, independent speaker and female phone jacks. Theseunits are widely available for use in, among other things,communications via personal computer. Many users prefer specific devicesdue to comfort and functionality that suits their individual purposes.These devices cannot generally be connected to cellular telephones dueto non-standard plug connections present on most models.

In particular, the Apple iPhone ®, which has achieved enormouscommercial success, uses a non-standard speaker/microphone female phonejack. No known adapters are available that provide standard femaleheadphone jacks and microphone jacks to allow a standard combinationspeaker/microphone unit with independent male headphone and microphoneplugs to be connected to an iPhone®.

Additionally, for certain sports and recreational activities where theuser is in motion, many of the available devices are particularlyproblematic because the headsets may not be securely held in place, andfree wires may snag on foreign objects such as tree branches in thevicinity of the user. In addition, microphone placement may besub-optimal, even to the point of being non-functional, due to excessivewind noise or muffling due to the user's clothing blocking themicrophone. Finally, while these devices are often equipped with remotebuttons for answering incoming telephone calls, user interface with thebutton may be difficult due to the button's placement or configuration,especially if the user is wearing gloves or other clothing that mayinterfere with the operation. Answer buttons are typically very small,require a significant degree of dexterity to operate, and may even bedifficult to locate in some circumstances. Due to operationaldifficulties, users of these devices may fail to answer incomingtelephone calls that they wish to answer.

Certain devices adapted to specific sports or recreational activitieshave been developed to solve some of the above-mentioned issues.However, none of the presently known devices are universally adapted toa variety of non-related activities.

For instance, cold weather hats for use with, e.g. snow skiing, such asthat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,451 to Graham, have been fittedwith headphones and are connectable to portable music players. Thesehats are not, however, fitted with microphones and may not beconnectable to cellular telephones for two-way communication. These hatsare typically manufactured with heavy fabric well-suited for coldweather sports but ill-suited for warm weather activities.

Also in the prior art are helmet systems with integrated communications.U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,256 to Steelman discloses a motorcycle helmet with abuilt-in speaker and microphone, whereby the rider and passenger maycommunicate with one another. These devices are permanently mounted tothe interior of the motorcycle helmet, and thus may not be adapted touses that do not require use of the helmet.

Other known devices may have wider application but present someoperational difficulties for use with sports activities. U.S. Pat. No.6,069,964 to Yang discloses an earphone arrangement comprising a bandtraversing the back of the head to hold the speakers in place, and aboom microphone. This device may be less comfortable or secure thandesired by a user performing sports or recreational activities, and themicrophone will likely function inadequately in windy conditions.

There are no known existing solutions to address the difficulties of thepresent cellular telephone call answer buttons. “Walkie-talkie” typebuttons, such as that depicted in International Patent Publication No.WO/2004/107787 of Bataillard, are typically mounted to the body of thetransceiver or to a remote speaker/microphone device wired back to thetransceiver. These devices are not ideally suited for sports andrecreation activities. They are relatively bulky, heavy, and expensiveto produce. Additionally, they would be more difficult to operate thanthe slap switch described herein.

What is needed, therefore, is a universal audio control devicefunctional for a variety of sports and recreational activities. Theheadset, speaker, and microphone should be securely held in place, evenwhile the user is in motion. The microphone should be placed in aposition that will enhance the pickup response while limiting theinterference from wind, clothing, or the like. A breakaway connectorbetween the cellular telephone and headset would prevent potentiallydangerous or destructive snags on foreign objects and further providethe user with the ability to disengage the headset portion from theremaining components of the device. The headset itself would secure theearphones and microphone in place on the wearer's head comfortably evenwhile wearing a helmet or other headgear over it. Additionally, ananswer button in the style of a “slap switch” should be included tofacilitate its operation even while the user is wearing, e.g. heavygloves. Ideally, this headset control system would be suitable for bothcold and warm weather activities. Moreover, the headset control systemcould also be used to listen to music since many modern cellulartelephones are also portable music players.

Additional functionality would be realized by incorporating an adaptercable that would allow the user to connect independent headphones andmicrophones of their choice to their cellular telephone. The slap switchmay also be incorporated into the adapter. A further benefit would beprovided by supplying “patch” cables that allow the adapter to beconnected to a variety of common cellular telephone models.

In conclusion, no cellular telephone or portable electronic devicecontrol system exists that meets the above design criteria, particularlyin the configurations disclosed herein.

SUMMARY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide embodiments of acontrol system suitable for use with cellular telephones or otherportable electronic devices, one or more speaker(s), and one or moremicrophone(s), said control system suitable for use in conjunction witha variety of sports and recreational helmets and hats.

It is envisioned that the present invention is fully adaptable to allmanners of portable electronic devices, including but not limited tocellular telephones, non-cellular mobile phones, satellite phones,cordless wireless phones, walkie-talkies, portable music players, andthe like. Certain embodiments of the invention are suitable for use withother communication devices, including but not limited to two-wayportable radio devices. Certain embodiments may be particularlyapplicable and useful to the special needs of law enforcement, searchand rescue, and other official personnel. Without limitation, these andother embodiments may be realized without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the artwill immediately appreciate additional embodiments of this inventionbeyond those specifically taught herein, and this disclosure is intendedto apply to all such embodiments without limitation upon the scopethereof. For example, whenever the phrase “cellular telephone” is usedhenceforth to permit a concise disclosure, it is intended to representany communication device or other personal or portable electronic devicewith which the invention may be compatible. Similarly, the phrases“portable electronic device” and “personal electronic device” areintended to encompass all manner of such devices including cellulartelephones and any other personal communication devices.

Speaker(s), microphone(s), and vibration sensor(s) utilized with thecontrol system of the present invention are devices external to aportable electronic device that are held in place by any known means,including but not limited to adhesives, hook and loop fasteners (e.g.,Velcro®), or the like. Alternately, said devices may be securely butremovably disposed within openings or pockets of a stretchable headgarment comprising a thin fabric so the devices may be easily separatedto permit the head garment to be washed. The head garment is ideallyconstructed of a breathable material, making it suitable for warmweather use without overheating the user. Other headgear, including butnot limited to a motorcycle helmet, bicycle helmet, or ski hat may beplaced over the head garment as desired by the user. Whenever the terms“device” or “devices” are used in this description and claims pertainingto Applicants' apparatus(es), system(s), and method(s) without furtherqualification, such as but not limited to the compound terms “personalelectronic device”, “input device”, “output device”, “electronicdevice”, or the like, it is intended to refer inclusively to the generalclass of all tangible items that may be connected to, associated with,or used in conjunction with this invention. That is, “device” and“devices” may refer to any kind of device without limitation and is notintended to be limited to any particular one of a “personal electronicdevice”, “input device”, “output device”, “electronic device”, or anyother specific type of device but is intended to potentially refer toall such possible devices, including the apparatuses of Applicants'invention.

The head garment preferably comprises a fabric hood comprising aneckband which overlaps the neck of the user below the chin. One or moreaudio output devices, typically comprising speakers, may be placed on orwithin the fabric hood proximate to the user's ears while one or moreaudio input device(s), typically comprising acoustic microphone(s) orvibration sensor(s), are ideally placed on or within said neckband suchthat the microphone(s) or vibration sensor(s), either directly or via athin intervening layer of neckband fabric, are held in direct contactwith the user's neck immediately proximate to the user's larynx foroptimum sensitivity, audio clarity, and maximal protection frominterference caused by wind, clothing, and other factors.

In one embodiment, audio of the user's voice is transmitted to theacoustic microphone(s) via acoustic transmission of sound (compressionand rarefaction of air). In one embodiment, audio of the user's voice istransmitted to the acoustic microphone(s) or vibration sensor(s) viaconduction through the solid matter of the user's body rather thanthrough compression and rarefaction of air. Depending on their designand configuration, acoustic microphones may be suitable for use both asacoustic microphones and as vibration sensors, but specialized vibrationsensors comprising one or more of piezoelectric crystal(s),piezoelectric polymer(s), dynamic element(s), condenser element(s), orother transducer technology incapable of also serving as acousticmicrophones are envisioned to be within the scope of this invention.Vibrations of the user's larynx are directly sensed by the one or moreacoustic microphone(s) or vibration sensor(s) and converted intoelectrical signals thereby. Sound transmission via vibration conductionprovides greater sensitivity and largely eliminates the pickup ofbackground noise, thereby improving clarity of transmission overacoustic transmission. Said acoustic microphone(s) or vibrationsensor(s) may also comprise specific design features, including but notlimited to highly directional sensitivity, thereby further minimizingaudio degradation from external sources such as wind. Further, the useof direct contact vibration sensing in lieu of acoustic transmissionpermits use of this technology in high moisture environments includingin or under water when implemented with suitably designed devices suchas plastic-encapsulated piezoelectric transducers impervious tomoisture, where acoustic reception of sound via a conventional acousticmicrophone is not practicable.

In one embodiment, one or more acoustic microphone, one or morevibration sensor, or one or more acoustic microphone and one or morevibration sensor may be deployed simultaneously in conjunction with thecontrol system disclosed herein. Simultaneous use of more than onemicrophone or vibration sensor would provide redundancy and superioraudio performance under extreme body movement typical of many sportingor recreational activities to which this invention is directed. In oneembodiment, one or more acoustic microphone(s) may be deployed inconjunction one or more vibration sensor(s) and the different audiosignals used to provide noise cancellation functionality via known phasereversal techniques prior to summation or via other means. In anembodiment where more than one acoustic microphone and more than onevibration sensor are deployed simultaneously, they may be proximate toeach other or placed at different locations to optimize performance withrespect to audio performance, noise cancelation, and the like.

In one embodiment, audio processing circuitry may be provided to improvethe quality of audio obtained from the one or more acousticmicrophone(s) or vibration sensor(s), including but not limited toautomatic gain control, compression, limiting, noise gating,equalization, and the like. The parameters of said audio processing,including but not limited to input level(s), output level(s), dynamicrange(s), signal to noise ratio(s), background noise threshold(s), audiofrequency passband(s) defined by high pass filter(s) and low passfilter(s), notch filtering, or the relative audio gain of any frequencyrange with respect to any other frequency range(s) may either be fixedor adjustable. In one embodiment, audio processing circuitry asdescribed above may be provided to improve the quality of audio obtainedfrom the cellular telephone or other portable electronic device.

Speakers of the normal acoustic type, which convert electrical audiosignals into compression and rarefaction of air to produce audiblesounds, are typically provided in certain embodiments of this invention.In one embodiment, speakers operatively connected to the control systemmay comprise one or more driven vibration transducers in vibrationalcommunication contact with the user's body. In a manner similar to thatof the vibration sensors discussed above, a driven transducer elementaffixed to a users body may convey an audio signal to a user's inner eardirectly via conduction via the solid matter of a user's body. In oneembodiment, driven transducer elements may be affixed to or within thehear garment so that they are in direct contact with the user's head atone or more desired location(s). Preferably, the driven transducerelement(s) may be placed in contact with the user at or near the user'stemples, against the user's skull above or behind the user's ears, or anany other location determined to be optimal for the intended purpose. Inone embodiment, driven transducer element(s) may be placed at one ormore locations on the user's body other than those covered by the headgarment, including but not limited to the user's collarbone orshoulders. In one embodiment, an additional garment may be provided tohold the driven transducer element(s) in position in a manner similar tothat described above in which the devices are held in position by thehead garment. In one embodiment, the driven transducer element(s) may bedirectly affixed to the user's body at any preferred location via asuitable removable adhesive. This embodiment may be preferred forapplications in which a head garment or other body covering would beuncomfortable or impractical.

For the balance of this disclosure, the term “microphone” wherever usedis intended to encompass both acoustic microphones and vibration sensorsof any type and in any number, and the term “speaker” wherever used isintended to apply to both acoustic speakers and driven transducerelement(s) of any type and in any number.

It is another object of the invention to provide a control system thatenhances the ability of users to operate the portable electronic device,such as to answer or terminate cellular telephone calls, while the useris in motion or wearing gloves that would render the use of conventionalcall answer buttons difficult or impossible. One embodiment of a controldevice comprises at least one actuation surface accessible to a user andsusceptible force applied by said user (hereinafter referred to as the“movable surface”) proximate to at least one other surface (hereinafterreferred to as the “non-movable surface”) such that the force applied bythe user results in relative translational motion by the movable surfacetoward the non-movable surface when a sufficient component of theapplied force is present. Said movable surface is sometimes referred toherein as a “slap pad”, the non-movable surface is sometimes referred toherein as the “base”, and the control device comprising the movable slappad surface, the non-movable base surface, and any other components,devices, or structure comprised within, between, or permanently attachedto either surface, directly or indirectly, is referred to collectivelyas the “slap switch control device”. Said slap switch control device isconfigured to operate one or more momentary electrical switches orcontacts disposed within or between the non-movable and movablesurfaces, or cause conductive surfaces of the movable and non-movablesurfaces to touch, thereby establishing a path of electrical continuitywhenever a sufficient activation force is applied to said movablesurface, and then return to its pre-activation position when theactivation force is removed.

In one embodiment, the one or more momentary electrical switches orcontacts comprise normally-open switch contacts that provide noconnection (an open circuit) between said switch contacts in anunactivated state and provide an electrical connection (electricalcontinuity, or a closed circuit) between said switch contacts in anactivated state. In one embodiment, the one or more momentary electricalswitches or contacts comprise normally-closed switch contacts thatprovide an electrical connection (electrical continuity, or a closedcircuit) between said switch contacts in an unactivated state andprovide no connection (an open circuit) between said switch contacts inan activated state.

The slap switch control device may comprise a plurality of movablesurfaces where each surface is independently operative. In oneembodiment, each movable surface may be operatively connected to one ormore of the one or more electrical switches or contacts on an exclusivebasis. That is, certain electrical switches or contacts may be operatedonly by activation of one of the plurality of movable surfaces. In oneembodiment, each movable surface may be operatively connected to all ofthe plurality electrical switches or contacts on a non-exclusive basis.That is, all electrical switches or contacts may be operated byactivation of any of the plurality of movable surfaces.

Said slap switch control devices may be used, for example, to answer atelephone call using a cellular telephone device operatively connectedthereto. For example, in one embodiment suited for certain cellulartelephone devices, a call may be answered on some cellular telephonedevices by momentarily shorting the two conductors of the microphoneconnection upon activation of the slap switch control device when suchconductors are connected to normally open contacts of one or moreelectrical switches or contacts disposed within said slap switch controldevice.

Ideally, the slap switch control device would be relatively largecompared to prior art cellular telephone answer switches but compactenough to avoid excessive bulkiness. In one embodiment, the activesurface area suitable for engaging the control device is at least onesquare inch. In another embodiment, said active surface area of thecontrol device may be greater than one square inch. An active surfacearea of approximately four square inches is preferable, and the activesurface area may range in sizes up to nine square inches or larger. Thesize of the slap switch control device minimizes the need for precision,making the device suitable for use with sports and recreationalactivities. In another embodiment particularly suitable for specializedapplications, the active surface area of the control device may be lessthan one square inch to fit within a limited, defined space. The controldevice may comprise any size and shape desired, and the specific sizeand shape of the control device in the form of a slap switch may beconformed to any specific requirements or preferences, particularly in amanner to optimize performance of any embodiment directed toward aspecific application. The size and shape of the control device avoidsthe need for the user to search for the device and fumble with theoperation thereof.

The slap switch control device may be located and deployed in anydesired manner. For example, the slap switch control device may beremovably affixed in any known manner to a garment worn by a user.Preferably, the control device will be affixed to an outer garment wherethe switch is directly accessible for activation by the user. However,in one embodiment, the control device may be affixed to an inner garmentand the switch activated by a force applied by the user through anyintervening outer garments. This embodiment may be preferred underhostile conditions where the control device may be subject to damage orinadvertent activation from external forces. The size, shape, andactivation sensitivity of the control device in this embodiment may bemodified specifically for use on an inner layer of clothing.

The slap switch control device may be clipped onto the users clothing,enclosed within a special pouch or flap provided on a garment, affixedvia hook-and-loop fasteners, attached via a removable adhesive, or heldin place via magnetic force between a suitably strong magnet located onthe back surface of the control device and a plate typically comprisedof stainless steel or other magnetically-attracted material with thegarment material trapped between the magnet and the plate. Alternately,the magnet may be in the form of a removable plate and the back surfaceof the control device may be comprised of stainless steel or othermagnetically-attracted material. By capturing the garment materialbetween a magnet and magnetically-attracted material, the control devicemay be securely fastened to a garment at a preferred location but easilyrepositioned or removed at will without damage to the garment. Inanother embodiment, the control device may be placed inside a typicalgarment pocket or situated in any other preferred location without beingaffixed or fastened to the user, if desired.

In one embodiment, the control device may be securely fastened to awristband, headband, hat, belt, or other dedicated mounting apparatus tobe worn by the user. In one embodiment, the control device may besecurely fastened directly to the user via a suitably removableadhesive.

In one embodiment of the invention, input devices such as one or moremicrophones, control devices comprising some number of any of switches,cables, connector jacks, circuitry, and other structure complementary orincidental to such elements as described in detail herein, and outputdevices such as speakers and headphones are operatively connected viaone or more wired connections. In this embodiment, all audio outputprovided by the cellular telephone or other portable electronic deviceis first communicated to the control device and subsequentlycommunicated from the control device to any speakers or headphonesconnected thereto. Similarly, all audio input provided by themicrophone(s) or vibration sensor(s) is first communicated to thecontrol device and subsequently communicated from the control device tothe cellular telephone or other portable electronic device connectedthereto. The control device functions both as an audio distributiondevice and, as described elsewhere herein, as a device to permit theuser to control any connected devices and direct how said audio isdistributed.

In one embodiment, the control device may comprise one or more acousticmicrophones or vibration sensors operational to replace similar externaldevices described above. If deployed proximate to a users larynx, suchas being mounted on or within the head garment neckband in contact withthe user's throat, affixed to the collar of the user's inner or outergarment, or affixed or attached in any manner to a user's head or chest,either an acoustic microphone or vibration sensor properly configuredand disposed within said control device would be functional to receiveeither transmitted sound or vibrational information to be communicatedto the cellular telephone or other portable electronic device utilizedwith the control device.

It is another object of the invention to provide one or more breakawayconnectors disposed along any wire(s) or cable(s) of the system wheredesired. In one embodiment, the breakaway connector comprises two“halves” containing a plurality of electrical contact elements and oneor more magnets to hold the halves in place during normal operation. Inone embodiment, the two halves of the breakaway switch are not identicalin every manner and comprise separate male and female halves configuredfor proper connectivity. In one embodiment, the two halves of thebreakaway connector are identically configured in such a manner as to beoperatively connectable; that is, each half of the breakaway connectoris physically identical in every way but are configured for properconnection.

In one embodiment, a breakaway connector is disposed between the headgarment and the slap switch control device to prevent user injury due tosnagging or other accidental forces applied to other portions of thesystem. In this embodiment, the breakaway connector is disposed alongthe cable connecting the slap switch control device and the speakers andmicrophone of the headset, with one of the two connector halves disposedat the ends of each of the cable segments from each device where theyconnect. In this manner, any force applied to the control device or anycable connected on the control device side of the breakaway connectorwill cause said breakaway connector to separate, preventing saidexcessive force from being applied to the speakers and microphonesaffixed to or near the user's head and thereby averting potentialinjury.

In one embodiment, a breakaway connector may be disposed along the cableconnecting the slap switch control device to the cellular telephone orother portable electronic device, with one of the two connector halvesdisposed at the ends of each of the cable segments from each devicewhere they connect. In this manner, any force applied to the controldevice or any cable connected on the control device side of thebreakaway connector will cause said connector to separate, preventingsaid excessive force from being applied to the cellular telephone orother portable electronic device and potentially averting potentialdamage thereto.

In one embodiment, a first breakaway connector may be disposed along thecable connecting the slap switch control device and the speakers andmicrophone of the headset, and a second breakaway connector disposedalong the cable connecting the slap switch control device to thecellular telephone or other portable electronic device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a wired adaptercomprising a standard (3.5 mm) female phone jack with an audioinput/output plug on the opposite end suitable for use with cellulartelephones or other portable electronic devices that will allowoperation with a standard headset of the user's choice. A slap switchcontrol device may also be incorporated into the adapter. This willallow use of the slap switch control device with a user's preferredheadset in the case that the user elects to use alternate speaker andmicrophone devices, such as a third party headset or headphones, thanthose disclosed in certain embodiments herein. Two independentconnections are therefore provided: one standard headphone connector,and one standard microphone connector. These independent connections canbe located adjacent to one another in a duplex arrangement or onseparate wires branching off of the cellular telephone connection in asimplex arrangement.

In one embodiment, a plurality of any of jacks, connection ports,communication ports, or wire pigtail connections may be provided on theslap switch control device for various purposes, including but notlimited to establishing one or more communication connections toexternal devices, providing audio input to the system from one or moreexternal sources, receiving audio output from the system for connectionto one or more external devices or speakers, permitting connection ofadditional control devices, transmission or reception of controlsignals, transmission or reception of data or configuration information,or for any other useful purpose. For example, more than one headphonejack may be provided to permit a user to share audio with one or moreother user(s) by simply plugging in a second headset or other externalspeakers. Similarly, one or more other users may participate in acellular telephone call by plugging in one or more suitable headsetcomprising one or more speaker(s) and microphone(s). In one embodiment,additional control devices, including but not limited to additional slapswitch control devices or switches of any other nature, may be connectedto a slap switch control device via any of the plurality of any ofjacks, connection ports, communication ports, or wire pigtailconnections to provide additional operational flexibility. One or moreof the wired pigtail connections depicted in the drawings may bereplaced by a jack installed in the control device and a cablecomprising a compatible plug supplied in its place. This would permitsubstitution of components or cables to provide increased versatility ofoperation and the ability to replace any damaged cables or othercomponents as may be required. The plurality of control system jacks andconnection ports preferably comprise industry standard connectorscommonly used in other equipment to permit direct connection of saidequipment with readily available interconnect cables. In the event thatnon-standard control system jacks and connection ports are provided,perhaps for economy of space or other operational considerations,suitable adapters or adapter cables may be provided to ensurecompatibility with a wide variety of external devices or sources.Similarly, in another embodiment of the present invention, “patch”cables are provided to allow use of the control system with differentcellular telephone models, which may contain nonstandard audioinput/output connections.

In one embodiment, input devices such as one or more microphone(s) ortransducer(s), control device(s) such as switch(es), and outputdevice(s) such as speaker(s), headphone(s), transducer(s), and otherdevices capable of translating electrical signals into audible soundsmay be operatively connected via one or more wireless connection(s) inlieu of connection via wire(s) or cable(s). Said wireless connectionsmay be established via any known or later-developed wirelesscommunication technology or protocol, including but not limited toBluetooth®, ZigBee®, Wi-Fi® (generally comprising the family of IEEE802.11 protocols), Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like.Multiple connections may be established using the same communicationtechnology or protocol, or more than one communication technology orprotocol may be used simultaneously for similar or different purposes.For example, audio may be communicated from the device to the system viaBluetooth® while one or more control connections may be transmitted orreceived by the system via NFC.

In one embodiment, all of the connections between the one or moremicrophone(s), control device(s), and output device(s) such as speakersand headphones are wired connections. In one embodiment, a first portionof the connections between the one or more microphone(s), controldevice(s), and output device(s) such as speakers and headphones may bewired connections and a second portion of said connections may bewireless connections. In this manner, an appropriate combination ofwired and wireless connections may be utilized for maximum convenienceand flexibility. In one embodiment, all of the connections between theone or more microphone(s), control device(s), and output device(s) suchas speakers and headphones are wireless connections.

As disclosed above with respect to the embodiment comprising wiredconnections, in one embodiment where all connections comprise wirelesscommunication connections, all audio output provided by the cellulartelephone or other portable electronic device is communicated to thecontrol device via a first wireless communication connection andsubsequently communicated via at least a second wireless communicationconnection from the control device to any speakers or headphonesconnected thereto. Similarly, all audio input provided by themicrophone(s) or vibration sensor(s) is communicated to the controldevice via at least a second wireless communication connection andsubsequently communicated via at least a first wireless communicationconnection from the control device to the cellular telephone or otherportable electronic device connected thereto. The wireless communicationconnections preferably allow communications in both directions withrespect to each connected device (to and from), but embodiments wherewireless communication connections operate in one direction only arealso envisioned by this disclosure. The control device in thisembodiment also functions as both a wireless audio distribution deviceand, as described elsewhere herein, as a device to permit the user tocontrol any connected devices and direct how said audio is distributedvia one or more wireless communication connection(s).

These and other features and advantages of this invention will be morereadily understood from the following detailed description of thevarious aspects of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain aspects of the features and advantages of the invention aredisclosed in the following drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present inventionshowing the control system utilized with a headset worn by a user.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present inventionshowing the control system in conjunction with a headset worn by a userunderneath a helmet.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present inventionshowing use of the present invention in conjunction with a standardheadset.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the breakawayconnector, the slap switch control device, and the duplex female phonejack.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the two identical halves of oneembodiment of the breakaway connector properly positioned forconnection.

FIG. 6 is a side view of one embodiment of the slap switch controldevice.

FIG. 7 is a schematic wiring diagram of the embodiment depicted in FIG.1.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a schematic wiring diagram of the embodiment depicted in FIG.3 utilizing a duplex-type speaker and microphone connection.

FIG. 10 is a schematic wiring diagram of the embodiment depicted in FIG.3 utilizing two simplex-type speaker and microphone connections.

It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. Thedrawings are merely generalized representations and are not intended toportray all specific parameters of the invention. The drawings areintended to depict only certain embodiments of the invention, andtherefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of theinvention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elementsamong the drawings. In other words, for the sake of clarity and brevity,like elements and components of each embodiment bear the samedesignations throughout the description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of the wired headset system wherein headgarment 20, fabricated from stretchable fabric or the like, is securedto a user's head preferably through the use of hook-and-loop fasteners(e.g., Velcro®) on neckband 32 or via other suitable means known in theart. Left and right speakers 28 are mounted within head garment 20proximate to the user's ears (only the left speaker is shown in FIG. 1).Microphone 30 is mounted within neckband 32 and held against the user'sneck near the larynx. Connecting wires (not shown) for speakers 28 andmicrophone 30 are preferably contained within or attached to headgarment 20 and neckband 32. Wire 34 connects speaker 28 and microphone30 to breakaway connector 40. In a preferred embodiment, speakers 28,microphone 30, and connecting wires are contained in secure pockets ofhead garment 20 but are removable by the user to facilitate washing ofhead garment 20.

Breakaway connector 40 is designed to release wire 34 from wire 54 inthe event that excessive tension is placed on the line (e.g., from asnag) or if the user desires to separate head garment 20 and associatedcomponents from the remaining components of headset 10. Slap switchcontrol device 60 is used to answer or terminate telephone calls and tostart and stop music, and has the advantage of being easy to operatewhen the user is participating in sports or recreational activities,especially where the particular activity would render it difficult orimpossible to toggle a micro switch. Slap switch control device 60 isconnected to cellular telephone plug 74 by wire 72.

FIG. 2 depicts headset 10 secured to a user, with an optional sportshelmet (not part of the present invention) worn over top of head garment20. Headset 10 comprises head garment 20, breakaway connector 40, wireclip 76, slap switch control device 60, and cellular telephone plug 74.An optional carrying case 82 (also not part of the present invention)encapsulates the cellular telephone. One or more additional breakawayconnectors 40 (not shown) may also be provided with this embodiment,including but not limited to one disposed between slap switch controldevice 60 and cellular telephone plug 74, if desired.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the present invention. Again, anoptional carrying case 82 is shown. Female duplex plug 80 comprisesstandard (3.5 mm) headphone and microphone connections. Female duplexplug 80 may alternatively be comprised of two simplex plugs.User-selected headset 84 (not part of the present invention) is worn bythe user and connected to female duplex plug 80. Slap switch controldevice 60 is contained within a pouch that is part of optional carryingcase 82 and is therefore not explicitly depicted in FIG. 3. Slap switchcontrol device 60 may also be attached to a user's clothing as shown inFIG. 2, if preferred by the user. One or more additional breakawayconnectors 40 (not shown) may also be provided with this embodiment,including but not limited to one disposed between headset 84 and femaleduplex plug 80, if desired. Similarly, standard 3.5 mm speaker andmicrophone connections, as shown in FIG. 3, may be incorporated into theheadset system of FIG. 2. The resulting system would, therefore, becompatible both with head garment 20 and any standard headset selectedby the user, thereby allowing the user to select the most suitableheadset arrangement for a given situation.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of certain embodiments of breakawayconnector 40, slap switch control device 60, and female duplex plug 80.In one embodiment, breakaway connector 40 comprises male connector half42 and female connector half 43, each with internal electrical contactsand one or more retaining magnets. In one embodiment, the connectorhalves 42 and 43 of breakaway connector 40 also comprise internalelectrical contacts and one or more retaining magnets but are physicallyand operationally identical and are not distinguishable as being either“male” or “female”. FIG. 4 shows that the plane of connection betweenconnector halves 42 and 43 of breakaway connector 40 is disposed at anacute angle with respect to the line defining the cables connected tosaid connector halves when the connected cable is taut. Said plane ofconnection lies at an angle between 0° (collinear with or parallel tothe taut cable) and 90° (normal or perpendicular to the taut cable),thereby comprising an acute angle.

Slap switch control device 60 is shown in a substantially triangularshape, although one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that avariety of shapes are possible. Female duplex plug 80 comprises speakerplug 85 and microphone plug 86. An alternative embodiment employs twofemale simplex plugs in place of female duplex plug 80.

FIG. 5 shows one exemplary embodiment of breakaway connector 40comprised of identical half connectors 42 and 43 depicted in therelative positions for proper connection. Magnets 46A and 46B andcontact surfaces 50A-50D are equally positioned on the faces of bothhalves of the connector and of compatible composition and configuration.This identical nature of connector halves is markedly different thanmost other connectors known in the art which comprise non-identical maleand female components, typically a male “plug” and a female “jack”.Connection is achieved by moving the connector halves toward each otherin the directions depicted by motion indicators 51. Said half connectors42 and 43 comprise magnets 46A and 46B of opposite polarity andelectrical contacts 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D. Half connectors 42 and 43are held together by the attractive force of magnets 46A and 46B, one ofwhich is configured with the “north pole” face exposed and the otherconfigured with the “south pole” face exposed. Both magnets 46A areconfigured identically and both magnets 46B are configured identically.For example, if both magnets 46A are configured with the “north pole”exposed on the face of the half connector, both magnets 46B areconfigured with the “south pole” exposed on the face of the halfconnector. Since the connector halves are connected with their principalaxes rotated by 180° so that the wires 52 and 53 terminating in theconnector halves describe line segments that are essentially collinearor parallel when connected (also see FIG. 4), each of the “north pole”magnets 46A of this example are aligned and in contact with each of“south pole” magnets 46B at each end of the half connector faces and theattractive magnetic force therebetween retains connector halves 42 and43 firmly affixed to each other. Additional symmetrical features may beincluded to provide additional stability of the connection, such asproviding a protruding rim around each magnet 46A that fits within arecessed area around each magnet 46B. This opposite-polarity magnetconfiguration not only provides a reliable and effective connection whenproperly positioned but also prevents inadvertent improper connection,as magnets 46A will repel each other while magnets 46B will also repeleach other if the breakaway connector halves are positioned improperly.

When said connector halves are properly connected as depicted in FIG. 4and FIG. 5, continuity between electrical contacts 50A-50D is achievedand maintained. Specifically, and as depicted in FIG. 5, contact 50Afrom connector half 42 will be in operative electrical communicationwith contact 50D from connector half 43, contact 50B from connector half42 will be in operative electrical communication with contact 50C fromconnector half 43, contact 50C from connector half 42 will be inoperative electrical communication with contact 50B from connector half43, and contact 50D from connector half 42 will be in operativeelectrical communication with contact 50A from connector half 43. Thesecontact assignments may be assigned to the desired electrical or controlsignals passed through the breakaway connector such that the desiredcontinuity is achieved. Electrical contacts may comprise any desiredconfiguration to achieve reliable continuity across breakaway connector40. Although four electrical contacts are described in this embodiment,any desired number of electrical contacts may be provided as desired inother embodiments of the invention.

An important feature of the embodiment of breakaway connector 40depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 is the fact that the faces of eachidentical contact join in a plane disposed at an acute angle to thecables emanating from the breakaway connector 40 when the halves areattached. This configuration provides significant advantage over otherconfigurations and is particularly well-suited for a reliable magneticconnection. Given that the principal magnetic forces holding connectorhalves 42 and 43 together is normal (perpendicular) to the plane of themagnet faces in direct contact, said acute alignment of the plane ofconnection with respect to the line described by the connected cableswhen taut provides both a normal and longitudinal component of magneticforce, thereby providing an optimal connection while maintaining fullbreakaway capability. Magnets 46A and 46B are selected to providesufficient attractive force to maintain a reliable physical connectionwhile simultaneously providing the ability to separate from each otherwhen an appropriately strong force is applied across the connection.

In one embodiment, electrical contacts 50A-50D (or any number ofelectrical contacts desired) may comprise magnetic materials, therebyproviding multiple attractive forces distributed across the entire faceof the connector halves operative to hold said connector halves 42 and43 together. Polarity of any such magnetic electrical contacts must alsobe properly configured if connector halves 42 and 43 are to beidentical. For example, in the embodiment presented in FIG. 5, contact50A in both connector halves may be configured with the “north pole”face exposed and contact 50D in both connector halves configured withthe “south pole” face exposed. Similarly, contact 50C in both connectorhalves may be configured with the “north pole” face exposed and contact50B in both connector halves configured with the “south pole” faceexposed. In his manner, each of the magnetic electrical contacts 50A-50Din connector halves 42 and 43 will connect to electrical contacts of theopposite polarity (“A” contacts to “D” contacts exclusively and “B”contacts to “C” contacts exclusively) and both connector halves willremain identical in every way. In one embodiment, the surfaces ofmagnetic electrical contacts 50A-50D are specially fabricated, coated orplated with an additional material, or alternatively processed in anydesired manner known in the art to provide optimal conductivity whenconnected. Magnetic electrical contacts 50A-50D may be utilized inconjunction with, or in lieu of, magnets 46A and 46B as may be desiredor deemed most suitable for any specific application.

As depicted in FIG. 4 and particularly in FIG. 5, wires 52 and 53 arepermanently attached to connector halves 42 and 43 of breakawayconnector 40 via molded strain reliefs. In one embodiment (not shown),said permanent molded wire connections are replaced by multi-conductorconnector jacks embedded within connector halves 42 and 43 to permit asuitable cable with a compatible multi-connector plug to be pluggedtherein. In this embodiment, the cables terminating in connector halves42 and 43 would be provided with said multi-connector plugs in additionto the now-removable connector halves into which said plugs would beinserted. The flexibility of providing one or more removable breakawayconnectors would permit users to forego the use of such breakawayconnectors if desired by plugging wire 34 connected to speaker 28 andmicrophone 30 directly into slap switch control device 60, where anappropriate jack may be provided as described elsewhere herein, in lieuof the connector half, or to replace any connector half in the event ofphysical damage or electrical failure to the connector half.

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of slap switch control device 60. Aplurality of electrically parallel switches 68, positioned between base62 and slap pad 64, provide a control signal when any one switch or anycombination thereof is depressed in the act of answering or hanging upcellular telephone calls or for starting, stopping, and resuming music.Said control signal may comprise establishing a closed circuit between apair of contacts that was previously an open circuit, said controlsignal comprise establishing an open circuit between a pair of contactsthat was previously a closed circuit, or said control signal maycomprise an electrical signal of any other type. The location ofswitches 68 near the perimeter of slap pad 64 facilitates theiroperation when force is applied to slap pad 64 at irregular positions orangles. Switches 68 are normally held open by, for example, springs orelastomeric materials of construction that apply a force opposing theinternal electrical switch contacts (not pictured). Support guides 66and 70 hold base 62 and slap pad 64 together and, in one embodiments,allow for a limited degree of swiveling to close one or more electricalswitches 68 when slap switch control device 60 is activated by the user.In one embodiment, support guides 66 and 70 allow for a range ofswiveling sufficient to permit rotation of slap pad 64 with respect tobase 62 while still holding them at the desired separation.

An important advantageous characteristic of this configuration is thatall of the plurality switches 68 are in parallel with each other,meaning that activation of just one of the plurality of switches 68provides continuity across the slap switch control device 60. In thismanner, all switches are equal and provide identical functionality.Successful activation of the slap switch control device 60 does notrequire application of a force at any particular location on the face ofthe switch to activate any particular one of the plurality switches 68.A force applied at any point on slap pad 64 will operate at least one ofthe plurality of switches, and usually more than one of said switches,to provide the desired control system output from the slap switchcontrol device 60. As an additional advantage, the presence of multipleswitches provides a high degree of redundancy in the event of failure ofany one switch. The location of the electrically parallel switches 68and the is selected to ensure that more than one of the switches 68 areactivated by a force applied to slap pad 64 of the slap switch controldevice 60. In somewhat similar configurations known in the art, failureof any one mechanical switch may render the entire switch assemblydefective, and the configuration of this invention solves that problem.The slap switch control device 60 of the present invention provides easeof use and enhanced reliability by permitting activation force to beapplied anywhere on the face of the switch and redundancy in the eventof switch failure for all but the most irregular activation forces.

In one embodiment not shown, the plurality of electrically parallelswitches 68 may be replaced with conductors or conductively-coatedsurfaces on all or substantially all of the inner-facing surfaces ofbase 62 and slap pad 64. Preferably, between 80% and 100% of saidinner-facing surfaces would comprise conductive properties. When thesesurfaces come in contact with each other as the result of a forceapplied to the slap pad 64 of slap switch control device 60, electricalcontinuity is provided across said control device in a manner identicalto that provided by the activation of one or more of the plurality ofelectrically parallel switches 68 in the previous embodiment. Inessence, this embodiment represents the case where up to an infinitenumber of switches are deployed within slap switch control device 60because contact at any point between the conductive inner surfaces ofbase 62 and slap pad 64, and not just at the discrete locations of anyone of the plurality of electrically parallel switches 68, will achieveactivation of the slap switch control device 60. Either or both of saidinner-facing conductors or conductively-coated surfaces may be stippledor comprise an irregular surface that provides preferred points ofcontact with the opposing surface.

In addition to providing control commands via activation of any of aplurality of electrically parallel switches 68 or via contact betweenopposing conducting surfaces, slap switch control device 60 may beconfigured to provide control functions by additional means, includingbut not limited to rotation of slap pad 64 with respect to base 62. Thisis particularly applicable to embodiments where slap switch controldevice 60 is circular in shape. Rotating the slap pad in one direction,preferable clockwise, may be used to raise the audio volume of thecellular telephone or other portable electronic device while rotation inthe opposite direction may be used to lower the volume of said device.This control function may be achieved by providing one or more (in thecase of stereo audio) variable resistor(s) affixed to either slap pad 64or base 62 with the rotatable wiper of said variable resistor(s)operatively connected to the other. Rotation of one portion of theswitch with respect to the other would provide a continuously variablevoltage between the maximum and minimum positions. When the analog audiosignal voltage(s) provided to slap switch control device 60 by acellular telephone or other portable electronic device are impressedacross the one or more variable resistors, a simple, effective, andeasily accessible volume control may be provided. In one embodiment, avariable DC voltage may be provided based on the relative positions ofslap pad 64 or base 62 and said DC voltage communicated to additionalcircuitry within slap switch control device 60 for other control orcommand purposes. In one embodiment, an optical sensor, comprising inone non-limiting example a light emitting diode (LED) and phototransistor, is affixed to the inner surface of either slap pad 64 orbase 62 and an optically encoded disc is affixed on the other innersurface proximate to said optical encoder, the optical sensor may beutilized to ascertain the relative positions of the two proximatesurfaces and provide one or more control or command function(s)according to said position, any change in relative position, or thevelocity or acceleration associated with said change in relativeposition.

Wires 54 and 72 (not shown on FIG. 6) are attached to base 62. In oneembodiment, wires 54 and 72 may be replaced on slap switch 60 byconnector jacks compatible with connector plugs on wires 54 and 72,permitting said wires to be detached as desired. Any number of otherconnector jacks may be installed on slap switch control device 60 forthe purpose of providing or receiving electrical or mechanical (contactopening and closing) signals of any kind, including but not limited toaudio and control signals.

FIG. 7 shows the schematic wiring of the embodiment presented in FIG. 1and FIG. 2. Slap switch control device 60 is shown with three parallelelectrical switches, which may be appropriate for a triangular-shapedslap switch. This is not to be construed as limiting the presentinvention, as any reasonable number of parallel switches, or a singleswitch, may be used with this device. Cellular telephone plug 74comprises electrical contacts 90A, 90B, 90C, and 90D that mate withinternal electrical contacts of a cellular telephone. The contacts 90A-Dare electrically connected to speakers 28 and microphone 30 viainsulated conductors in the manner shown. Slap switch control device 60is a resilient switch that remains in the open position, as shown, whennot pressed by the user to activate. When slap switch control device 60is pressed, at least one of the plurality of parallel electricalswitches 68 close to complete an electrical circuit and, in oneembodiment, electrically connect the leads across microphone 30. Thisactivates functions on the cellular telephone. Specifically, it answersand hangs up telephone calls, or starts, stops, and resumes music play.Use of slap switch control device 60 may also activate other functionson the phone, such as starting and stopping the streaming of music tospeakers 28.

FIG. 8 depicts adapter 73 with a standard 3.5 mm, four connector maleplug for insertion into many cellular telephone models. At the oppositeend of adapter 73 is female duplex plug 80 (or, alternatively, twofemale simplex plugs) for connection to a variety of standard headsets.Slap switch control device 60 is included to facilitate starting,stopping, and resuming music play, and answering and ending cellulartelephone calls.

FIG. 9 depicts the wiring system for connection of a cellular telephoneto a standard headset, or alternatively to one or more speakers and amicrophone with standard 3.5 mm male plugs. Cellular telephone plug 74is electrically connected to speaker plug 85 and microphone plug 86 viainsulated conductors 92, in the manner shown. Female duplex plug 80comprises speaker plug 85 and microphone plug 86, which are bothstandard 3.5 mm female jacks. Slap switch control device 60 may beactivated to momentarily short the leads across the microphoneterminals, as described herein.

FIG. 10 shows an electrically equivalent arrangement as that depicted inFIG. 9, but with speaker plug 85 and microphone plug 86 arranged in asimplex configuration. Cellular telephone plug 74 is electricallyconnected to speaker plug 85 via insulator conductor 94, and tomicrophone plug 86 via insulated conductor 96.

For operation of the embodiment described above, cellular telephone plug74 is inserted into a cellular telephone female audio input/outputconnection. Alternatively, a patch cable may be used to translate anonstandard cellular telephone connection to a standard 3.5 mm plug, andcellular telephone plug 74 may then be inserted into a female plug ofthe patch cable. Head garment 20 is placed over the user's head, andcontinuity of the electrical contacts 50A-50D of breakaway connector 40is achieved when breakaway switch half 42 is engaged with breakawayswitch half segment 43. Many modern cellular telephones can send anaudio (e.g., music) signal to speakers 28. Generally, an audible signalwill be transmitted on top of the audio signal when the user receives anincoming telephone call. The user may then momentarily activate slapswitch control device 60 to answer the call, and activate it again tohang up. Alternatively, when the cellular telephone is being utilized asa portable music player, slap switch control device 60 is used to start,stop, and resume music play.

Operation for the configuration depicted in FIG. 2 is similar. Malespeaker and microphone plugs are inserted into female speaker plug 85and microphone plug 86, respectively. The operation of slap switchcontrol device 60 is as described above.

In one embodiment, one or more of the wired connections depicted inFIGS. 1-10 are replaced via one or more wireless connections between thevarious external components and devices, including the cellulartelephone or other portable electronic device. A portion of saidconnections may be wired connections and another portion may be wirelessconnections. In one embodiment, all connections between the variouscomponents of the control system may be wireless connections.

Cellular telephones and other portable electronic devices normallycomprise Bluetooth® capability as an inherent feature of the device, andin one embodiment, one or more external components of the headset systemmay communicate with one or more cellular telephones or portableelectronic device(s) using said protocol. Similarly, most portableelectronic devices also comprise the ability to establish a networkedcommunication link via Wi-Fi® as a means of providing access to externalsites or resources including the Internet. In one embodiment, the slapswitch control device 60 may comprise Wi-Fi® communication capability,permitting a portable electronic device to connect to the system viasaid protocol(s). In one embodiment, the slap switch control device 60may comprise an 802.11 wireless access point (WAP) to which one or moreportable electronic devices may connect using said industry-standardprotocols. In one embodiment, a portable electronic device may useWi-Fi® to establish a link to an external wireless access point, therebyacquiring external network access, and subsequently provide externalnetwork access to slap switch control device 60 via a second wirelesscommunication connection according to any of the known orlater-developed wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth®,ZigBee®, and the like.

In one embodiment, the slap switch control device 60 depicted in FIG. 4and FIG. 6 comprises one or more communication modules each comprisingone or more wireless communication ports to provide wirelesscommunication capability according to one or more of the wirelesscommunication protocols described above. For example, modules may beprovided for Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, NFC, or any of the Wi-Fi® 802.11protocols as desired. More than one module may be provided for any oneprotocol or any number of modules may be provided for each of any numberof different protocols as desired.

In one embodiment, slap switch control device 60 comprising Wi-Fi®communication capability may acquire electronic data access to one ormore external electronic resource(s) and network(s), including but notlimited to any other Wi-Fi®-compatible device(s) such as one or moresingle external computer(s), one or more local intranet(s) of connectedexternal computers, the world-wide network commonly referred to as the“internet”, and any other resources accessible to or from said externalelectronic resource(s) and network(s). Such electronic data access maybe acquired by slap switch control device 60 via said one or morecommunication modules in electronic data communication with a connectedelectronic device capable of communicating with such external electronicresource(s) and network(s) in any manner. One or more portableelectronic devices may access external resource(s) and network(s) viathe Wi-Fi® capability of said device(s) as described above, or viacellular, other common carrier network(s), or any other preferredcommunication protocol for which the portable electronic device(s) areconfigured, and thereby provide such electronic data access to slapswitch control device 60 and any other devices electronically connectedthereto.

In one embodiment, slap switch control device 60 comprising Wi-Fi®communication capability may directly acquire access to one or moreexternal electronic resource(s) and network(s) via one or more of itsown Wi-Fi® communication modules without any reliance on thefunctionality of any connected devices to provide such access. In thisembodiment, external access may be provided to, rather than provided by,any other devices in electronic data communication with slap switchcontrol device 60. In one embodiment, slap switch control device 60 maycomprise two or more Wi-Fi® communication modules with one such moduleutilized to provide access to external electronic resource(s) andnetwork(s) and a second such module used to connect to a personalelectronic device. In this embodiment, the personal electronic devicewould access the external electronic resource(s) and network(s) in thesame manner as if said device were directly connected to an externalwireless access port. This is particularly advantageous for applicationsrunning on personal electronic devices that are not configured toexchange data via other protocols, such as Bluetooth®, and requireeither a common carrier-type data connection or a Wi-Fi® dataconnection. That is, applications running on a personal electronicdevice connected to slap switch control device 60 via the Bluetooth®protocol may not be able to utilize said connection to successfullyexchange data with external electronic resource(s) and network(s) madeavailable via slap switch control device 60.

In one embodiment, slap switch control device 60 comprises connectorjacks used for wired connection to external components, includingportable electronic devices, when wired operation desired and furthercomprises one or more wireless communication modules, each comprisingone or more wireless communication ports, for wireless connection toexternal components, including portable electronic devices, whenwireless operation is preferred. Preferably, the control systemcomprising external devices and components is configured to permitwireless operation whenever a wired connection is not in use. When awired connection is established by inserting a compatible plug into aparticular connector jack, any wireless function associated with thatparticular connector previously operative is disabled until said plug isremoved. For example, a wireless Bluetooth® communication module may bein use to connect to a Bluetooth® headset worn by a user. In the eventthe Bluetooth® headset fails from a depleted battery, for example, theuser may choose to plug a wired headset into the appropriate connectorjack in the slap switch control device 60, thereby establishing a wiredconnection, and doing so would terminate operation of the Bluetooth®communication module in slap switch control device 60 until said plugwas removed.

In one illustrative embodiment not limiting upon the scope of thisdisclosure in any manner, the slap switch control device 60 mayestablish a first wireless communication connection from a wirelesscommunication port therein to the user's cellular telephone or otherportable electronic device via either the Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi®protocols. Simultaneously, the slap switch control device 60 mayestablish a second wireless communication connection from a secondwireless communication port therein to a headphone device comprising abuilt-in microphone and further comprising Bluetooth® protocolcommunication functionality. In this configuration, signals are relayedto and from the cellular telephone or other portable electronic devicefrom and to the headphones via the slap switch control device 60whenever the user supplies the appropriate control commands to activatesaid mode. Primarily, audio output from the cellular telephone or otherportable electronic device, such as music or the incoming audio from atelephone call, is communicated to slap switch control device 60 via thefirst wireless communication connection, which audio is thencommunicated to the headphone device via the second wirelesscommunication connection. Similarly, an audio signal obtained from theheadset microphone is communicated to slap switch control device 60 viathe second wireless communication connection, which audio is thencommunicated to the cellular telephone or other portable electronicdevice via the first wireless communication connection. Such audiosignal obtained from the headset microphone may comprise audio from theuser to be sent to the distant party in a telephone conversation.Alternately, such audio signal obtained from the headset microphone maycomprise voice commands directed to the cellular telephone or otherportable electronic device when said device is configured to receive andrespond to said voice commands. In this instance, slap switch controldevice 60 serves as a translator between the first and second wirelesscommunication connections, and all audio signals within the system passthrough and are distributed and controlled by said control device.

The control system of this invention provides additional functionalitynot known in the prior art. As described in detail above, a principalfunction of slap switch control device 60 is to provide controlfunctionality particularly directed toward the cellular telephone orother portable electronic device. These control functions include butare not necessarily limited to answering telephone calls, starting,stopping, and resuming music play, adjusting the audio signal volumesupplied by the cellular telephone or other portable electronic device,and the like. In one or more of the wired embodiments discussed above,these control signals are communicated from slap switch control device60 to the cellular telephone or other portable electronic device viaconductors within the cable disposed between the two devices. The audiosignal is communicated via separate conductors within the same cable,said separate conductors comprising a separate communication pathbetween the two devices.

In an embodiment comprising both wired and unwired connections, theaudio signals may be communicated by a suitable wireless communicationconnection while the control functions may be communicated via a wiredconnection. In a preferred embodiment comprising only wirelesscommunication connections, control signals from the slap switch controldevice 60 may be generated, injected, and communicated via any wirelesscommunication connection to any device sharing said wirelesscommunication connection. While certain embodiments described hereinpertain to the control of personal electronic devices and otherperipheral devices associated therewith, such as headphones andmicrophones, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatcontrol signals from slap switch control device 60 may be sent to,received by, and be operative to control the functions of anyBluetooth®-compatible device for which said control device may besuitably configured. For example, and without limitation, slap switchcontrol device 60 may be configured to operate fixed-location electronicentertainment devices such as television receivers, video displays, orother visual presentation devices, vehicle systems used forentertainment, control, or monitoring purposes, security devices such aslockers, lighting controllers, portable or fixed-location communicationequipment including but not limited to public address equipment,electronic musical instruments or video or audio recording equipment,personal computers including desktop computers, laptop and netbookcomputers, tablets, and the like, electronic dictation machines,electronic systems or devices used for personal authentication, personalor casino-based electronic gaming machines or associated peripheraldevices, devices associated with financial transaction, payment, orauthentication systems, industrial equipment, sports equipment andsystems related to the control, monitoring, and performance of sportingevents, and any other electronic devices, apparatuses, or systemsequipped with and configured for control, operation, or monitoring viathe Bluetooth® communication protocol. For the purposes of thisdisclosure, any and all of the devices enumerated above, along with anyothers that fall within the general description of electronic devices,apparatuses, or systems equipped with and configured for control,operation, or monitoring via the Bluetooth® communication protocol, areintended to fall within the scope and definition of the devicescompatible with slap switch control device 60.

As one non-limiting example, most Bluetooth® -compatible devices areconfigured to respond to control commands transmitted via Bluetooth®,such as when a cellular telephone may be answered or a call terminatedby pressing a button on a connected Bluetooth® headset. The controlsystem of the present invention may be configured to allow such controlsgenerated by either device in wireless communication with slap switchcontrol device 60 to be passed from a first device to one or more seconddevices when all such devices are in communication with slap switchcontrol device 60. In this manner, a control signal is passed from onedevice to another via the separate Bluetooth® communication paths viaslap switch control device 60 which extracts said control signal from afirst communication path and injects said control signal into thecommunication paths of said one or more second devices, thereby servingas a translator device for control signals among the interconnecteddevices. However, control commands generated in this manner do notadvantageously benefit from the additional control-injection capabilityprovided by slap switch control device 60 disclosed above. Accordingly,slap switch control device 60 may be further configured to translate anynumber or pattern of switch activations into Bluetooth®-compatiblecommands that are injected into the wireless communication connectionand communicated to any device in wireless communication therewith. Forexample, a single momentary activation of slap switch control device 60may be translated into the appropriate Bluetooth® protocol command andinjected into the wireless communication connection between the slapswitch control device 60 and the cellular telephone to direct that thecall be answered. During the course of the telephone call, the wirelesscommunication connection between the slap switch control device 60 andthe cellular telephone will be active to communicate audio from thephone to the user's speakers and from the user's microphone to thecellular telephone, but when the user desires to terminate the call, asecond activation of the slap switch control device 60 may similarlycommand said control device to generate an appropriateBluetooth®-compatible command and inject and communicate said command tothe cellular phone via the same wireless communication connectionpreviously used to transmit audio of the call.

Similarly, the Bluetooth®-compatible headphone of this example may alsoreceive commands from slap switch control device 60. Said headphones maycomprise features such as output audio volume or microphone sensitivity,as two non-limiting examples, that are remotely adjustable viaBluetooth® commands provided by a connected device. The slap switchcontrol device 60 may be further configured to generate, inject, andcommunicate, via the shared wireless communication connection, anappropriate Bluetooth®-compatible command to said headphones to performany function which the headphones are configured to accept and execute.

In one embodiment, slap switch control device 60 may simultaneouslyestablish more than one wireless communication connection with more thanone similar device. For example, slap switch control device 60 may beconfigured to simultaneously connect to one cellular or other wirelessphone and more than one set of wireless headphones via the same ordifferent wireless protocols. In this manner, the audio provided by saidsingle telephone or other portable electronic device may besimultaneously received by more than one user, or more than one user maysimultaneously participate in a telephone call in a “conference” mode.Additionally, in this example, slap switch control device 60 may beconfigured to provide control functionality for only one set ofwirelessly connected headphones or to provide simultaneous controlfunctionality for all wirelessly connected headphones. Similar controlof devices other than headphones is envisioned and enabled by thisdisclosure as well.

The disclosed capabilities of slap switch control device 60 to serve asan intermediate wireless communication device to link the functionalityof personal electronic and other devices while injecting its own controlcommands and translating control commands from one device communicationpath to one or more other paths is both novel and providespreviously-unknown flexibility in the configuration and use of suchdevices. This capability may be readily expanded by the use or more thanone slap switch control device in combination. For example, in oneembodiment, a first slap switch control device 60 may be configured toestablish a communication path with one or more second slap switchcontrol devices 60 in addition to, or even in lieu of, any othercommunication paths that may be simultaneously active on either thefirst or second devices. In doing so, the slap switch control devicesmay establish a mini-network of linked devices capable of providingcommunications or control functions to, or receiving communications orcontrol functions from, any device active within the “mini-net” oflinked slap switches. For example, the telephone conference modedescribed above may be implemented via a single slap switch controldevice 60 in communication with one phone and several wireless headsetsas previously described, or it may be implemented by linking a firstslap switch control device in communication with a first phone and firstheadset to a second slap switch control device in communication with asecond phone and second headset so that the users of both slap switchcontrol devices, phones, and headsets, along with the remote callers oneach of the first and second phones, may all participate in asimultaneous conversation. This is but one non-limiting example of themany applications possible by the linking of multiple slap switches. Inone such embodiment, each slap switch control device 60 may beconfigured to communicate data and any control command functionsgenerated by itself and the devices to which it is otherwise connectedto other interconnected slap switches and the other devices to whichthey are connected. In another embodiment, the control functionsgenerated by each slap switch may be operatively restricted to thenon-slap switch devices to which it is otherwise connected so as toavoid unintentional consequences of control signals meant solely forlocal operation. This may be accomplished by configuring each slapswitch control device with a unique identifier that permits said deviceto discriminate between its own signals and those of remote butinterconnected slap switch control devices.

As disclosed above, the slap switch control device 60 is not limited towireless communication via the Bluetooth® protocol; it may be configuredto communicate with and provide control commands to external devices viaany known or preferred wireless communication protocol, including thoseenumerated above and any of similar functionality. In some embodimentswhere different communication protocols are simultaneously used tocommunicate with more than one device, electronic data and commandcontrol signals received from a first device in a format compatible witha first communication protocol used in a first communication path may betranslated by slap switch control device 60 from said firstcommunication protocol to a second communication protocol compatiblewith a second device and conveyed via a second communication path. Asone non-limiting example, when slap switch control device 60 isconfigured to simultaneously communicate with a Wi-Fi® device providingan internet-based streaming music service and a wireless Bluetooth®headset, a Bluetooth®-compatible control command generated by the userpressing a button on the headset to pause the streaming audio will becommunicated to slap switch control device via the Bluetooth®communication path, translated into a suitable Wi-Fi®-compatible controlcommand by said slap switch control device, and communicated to saidWi-Fi® device in a Wi-Fi®-compatible format via the Wi-Fi® communicationpath.

In an embodiment comprising more than one slap switch control device 60interconnected via Wi-Fi®, such control commands generated by anelectronic headset connected to a first slap switch control device 60may be communicated to said first device via the Bluetooth®communication path, translated into a suitable Wi-Fi®-compatible controlcommand by said first slap switch control device, and then communicatedto a second interconnected slap switch control device 60 via a Wi-Fi®communication path to which said internet-based streaming music serviceis connected.

Slap switch control device 60 may be further configured to generate anynumber of other control signals based on the number of switchactivations within a prescribed period of time, the duration of anyswitch activations, any combination of switch activations and theirdurations forming a prescribed pattern, or any other manner in whichswitch activations may be distinguished from each other. As describedabove, one short activation may be used to command a cellular telephonedevice to answer a call when no call is currently in progress, and thesame short switch activation may be used to terminate any call inprogress. Any number of other combinations are envisioned by thisdisclosure. For example, one long switch activation may be used togenerate a command to increase the audio output volume of the cellulartelephone or other portable electronic device; the volume maycontinually increase as long as the slap pad on the slap switch controldevice 60 remains depressed. A series of short activations may be usedto reduce the audio output volume of the cellular telephone or otherportable electronic device; as long as multiple short activationscontinue to be sensed by slap switch control device 60, it may continueto generate, inject, and communicate a Bluetooth® command for thecellular telephone or other portable electronic device to continuallyreduce volume until the desired level is achieved. These examples areprovided only to disclose the nature of one aspect of this invention andare neither limiting or all-encompassing. A person of ordinary skill inthe art will immediately recognize that any number of other combinationsor configurations follow immediately from this disclosure.

To the extent that slap switch control device 60 comprises any activecircuitry or requires power or any other reason, said device maycomprise a power source such as a battery and battery chargingcircuitry. Preferably, said battery is a high capacity rechargeablebattery, such as but not limited to one of any of lithium-ion (Li-on),nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMh), lithium ion polymer(Li-on polymer), or nickel lithium (NiLi). Slap switch control device 60may also comprise an additional charging port or jack into which asuitable DC power source of a specified voltage and current capacity maybe applied to charge the battery. In one embodiment, slap switch controldevice 60 further comprises a USB jack through which the battery may becharged. In one embodiment, slap switch control device 60 comprises aphotovoltaic charging panel which converts light energy into a DCvoltage which may be used to charge a battery or store charge in acapacitor to be used for the operation of said device. When anyparticular embodiment of the slap switch control device 60 requireselectric power for operation, said device is preferable equipped with apower switch or alternate means, such as providing a certain series ofcommands via the slap pad, to turn the device on and off.

Additionally, if slap switch control device 60 comprises any computingresources including but not limited to hardware, firmware, software,processor(s), memory or memories, or any embedded peripherals requiredto provide or support any of the functionality described herein, saidUSB jack may provide access to said computing components for any usefulpurpose such as configuration, management, troubleshooting, andupdating. In addition, slap switch control device 60 may be configuredto allow configuration, management, troubleshooting, and updating viaany other wired or wireless connection available in said device

Since other modifications and changes to the novel control system willbe apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not consideredlimited to the description above for purposes of disclosure, and coversall changes and modifications which do not constitute departures fromthe true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising twoor more electronic signal communication ports, wherein said apparatus iscapable of: A. establishing a first wireless signal connection with atleast one of any of a first device, first external resource, or firstnetwork via a first of said two or more electronic signal communicationports using a first wireless communication protocol; B. establishing asecond wireless signal connection with at least one of any of a seconddevice, second external resource, or second network via a second of saidtwo or more electronic signal communication ports using a secondwireless communication protocol; and C. communicating electronic signalsbetween said first and second wireless signal connections via saidwireless communication apparatus; wherein any of said electronic signalscomprise command or control signal(s) generated by, or operative tocontrol, at least one of any of another of said wireless communicationapparatus(es), said device(s), said external resource(s), and saidnetwork(s).
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or moreswitches and wherein any of said command or control signal(s) generatedby said apparatus are generated in response to the activation of atleast one of said one or more switches.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2wherein any of said command or control signal generated by saidapparatus are generated in response to at least one of any of a pressingactivation, a rotating activation, or any number, pattern, or durationof pressing, rotating, or pressing and rotating activations of at leastone of said one or more switches.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein atleast one of any of said first and second wireless communicationprotocols comprise one of any of a Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, NFC, and Wi-Fi®802.11 wireless signal connection.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinsaid first wireless communication protocol and said second wirelesscommunication protocol are (i) the same wireless communication protocolor (ii) are different wireless communication protocols.
 6. The apparatusof claim 1 further configured to translate any of said command orcontrol signal(s) from said first wireless communication protocol intosaid second wireless communication protocol when said first wirelesscommunication protocol and said second wireless communication protocolare different wireless communication protocols.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein at least one of any of said device(s), said externalresource(s), or said network(s) comprise at least one of any of a secondinstance of said apparatus, a cellular telephone, a non-cellular mobilephone, a satellite phone, a cordless wireless phone, a walkie-talkie, awireless access point, one or more single computer(s) or other computingdevices, one or more local intranet(s) of connected computers, theworld-wide internet network, microphone(s), transducer(s), controldevice(s), switch(es), speaker(s), headphone(s), television receiver(s),video display(s), visual presentation device(s), vehicle system(s),security device(s), lighting controller(s), portable or fixed-locationcommunication equipment, public address system(s), electronic musicalinstrument(s), video or audio recording equipment, electronic dictationmachine(s), electronic authentication device(s) or system(s), electronicgaming machine(s) or peripheral(s), financial transaction, payment, orauthentication device(s), industrial equipment, or equipment related tocontrol, monitoring, and performance of sporting events.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein any of said electronic signals comprise anaudio signal.
 9. A wireless communication system comprising: A. two ormore wireless communication apparatuses, each comprising a firstelectronic signal communication port configured for a first wirelesscommunication protocol and a second electronic signal communication portconfigured for a second wireless communication protocol; and B. one ormore device(s), external resource(s), or network(s) in electronic signalcommunication with at least one of any of said two or more wirelesscommunication apparatuses via said first or second electronic signalcommunication ports; wherein said system is capable of: a. establishingelectronic signal communication between any two of said two or morewireless communication apparatuses via said first or second electronicsignal communication ports; and b. via said first or second electronicsignal communication ports and said wireless communication apparatuses,communicating electronic signals comprising at least one control orcommand signal generated by, or operative to control, at least one ofany of another of said wireless communication apparatuses and said oneor more device(s), external resource(s), or network(s).
 10. The systemof claim 9 wherein said first wireless signal connection or said secondwireless signal connection comprise one of any of a Bluetooth®, ZigBee®,NFC, and Wi-Fi® 802.11 wireless signal connection.
 11. The system ofclaim 9 wherein said first wireless communication protocol and saidsecond wireless communication protocol are (i) the same wirelesscommunication protocol or (ii) are different wireless communicationprotocols.
 12. The system of claim 9 wherein said wireless communicationapparatuses are further configured to translate any of said command orcontrol signal(s) from said first wireless communication protocol intosaid second wireless communication protocol when said first wirelesscommunication protocol and said second wireless communication protocolare different wireless communication protocols.
 13. The system of claim9 wherein at least one of any of said one or more device(s), externalresource(s), or network(s) comprise at least one of any of a anotherinstance of said apparatus, a cellular telephone, a non-cellular mobilephone, a satellite phone, a cordless wireless phone, a walkie-talkie, awireless access point, one or more single computer(s) or other computingdevices, one or more local intranet(s) of connected computers, theworld-wide internet network, microphone(s), transducer(s), controldevice(s), switch(es), speaker(s), headphone(s), television receiver(s),video display(s), visual presentation device(s), vehicle system(s),security device(s), lighting controller(s), portable or fixed-locationcommunication equipment, public address system(s), electronic musicalinstrument(s), video or audio recording equipment, electronic dictationmachine(s), electronic authentication device(s) or system(s), electronicgaming machine(s) or peripheral(s), financial transaction, payment, orauthentication device(s), industrial equipment, or equipment related tocontrol, monitoring, and performance of sporting events.
 14. The systemof claim 9 wherein any of said electronic signals comprise audio signal.15. A wireless communication method comprising steps of: A. using awireless communication apparatus comprising two or more electronicsignal communication ports, establishing a first wireless signalconnection between said wireless communication apparatus and one or morefirst device(s), external resource(s), or network(s) via a first of saidtwo or more electronic signal communication ports using a first wirelesscommunication protocol; B. using said wireless communication apparatus,establishing a second wireless signal connection between said wirelesscommunication apparatus and one or more second device(s), externalresource(s), or network(s) via a second of said two or more electronicsignal communication ports using a second wireless communicationprotocol; C. communicating electronic signals between said first andsecond wireless signal connections via said wireless communicationapparatus; and D. communicating command or control signals generated by,or operative to control, at least one of any of said device(s), saidexternal resource(s), said or network(s) to at least one of any ofanother of said wireless communication apparatuses, said device(s), saidexternal resource(s), said or network(s) via said wireless communicationapparatus and said first and first wireless signal connections.
 16. Themethod of claim 15 wherein at least one of any of said first and secondwireless communication protocols comprise one of any of a Bluetooth®,ZigBee®, NFC, and Wi-Fi® 802.11 wireless signal connection.
 17. Themethod of claim 15 wherein said first wireless communication protocoland said second wireless communication protocol are (i) the samewireless communication protocol or (ii) are different wirelesscommunication protocols.
 18. The method of claim 15 further configuredto translate any of said command or control signals from said firstwireless communication protocol into said second wireless communicationprotocol when said first wireless communication protocol and said secondwireless communication protocol are different wireless communicationprotocols.
 19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of any ofsaid device(s), said external resource(s), or said network(s) compriseat least one of any of a second instance of said apparatus, a cellulartelephone, a non-cellular mobile phone, a satellite phone, a cordlesswireless phone, a walkie-talkie, a wireless access point, one or moresingle computer(s) or other computing devices, one or more localintranet(s) of connected computers, the world-wide internet network,microphone(s), transducer(s), control device(s), switch(es), speaker(s),headphone(s), television receiver(s), video display(s), visualpresentation device(s), vehicle system(s), security device(s), lightingcontroller(s), portable or fixed-location communication equipment,public address system(s), electronic musical instrument(s), video oraudio recording equipment, electronic dictation machine(s), electronicauthentication device(s) or system(s), electronic gaming machine(s) orperipheral(s), financial transaction, payment, or authenticationdevice(s), industrial equipment, or equipment related to control,monitoring, and performance of sporting events.
 20. The method of claim15 wherein any of said electronic signals comprise an audio signal.